RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat cleared the stance over skipper Rajat Patidar’s availability for the upcoming clash between defending champions RCB and SRH. This will be the Royal Challengers’ final league-stage clash in IPL 2026.
RCB are on the verge of entering the playoffs, holding to that top spot in the points table. Their next match is likely to be played against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and if RCB can register a win in this game, then they can advance into Qualifier 1.
The first qualifier is scheduled to be hosted in the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh, and for the Challengers, even a defeat against SRH can see them through to the top of the table due to their high net run rate.
“Rajat’s good to go” – RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat updated on the skipper’s comeback
Defending champions RCB will once again set hopes for a title triumph in IPL 2026, and Mo Bobat has provided an update on skipper Rajat Patidar‘s availability for the next game against the Sunrisers.
The skipper missed their last game against the Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh after he was ruled out with a massive blow on his head while facing KKR pacer Kartik Tyagi. The director revealed that Rajat Patidar was fine, yet they resolved to safeguard him.
“Rajat’s good to go. We were cautious and didn’t take any risks with him. We thought we’d give him a little bit longer to recover and rest, but he’s here, he’s practising, and he’s good to go,” Bobat said in the pre-match press conference on the eve of the fixture.
“He’s a good source of insight and ideas” – Bobat bows down to Bhuvneshwar’s brilliance
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the highest wicket-taker in the season and has 24 scalps under his name. Kumar is currently at the top of the wicketkeepers’ tally and has the purple cap on his head. Bobat praised his excellent rhythm with the ball and his key insights to skipper Rajat Patidar and vice-captain Jitesh Sharma.
“Bhuvi has been brilliant. His outcomes have been excellent; he’s taken a lot of wickets, but he’s also bowled with excellent rhythm. He’s been effective at the front end of the innings and also the back end, so we’re very pleased with how he’s going,” said Mo Bobat on the legendary Indian seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
“He talks well in meetings; he’s a good source of insight and ideas in the field under pressure. He can be a great support to Rajat and Jitesh as well, which is really important. We get huge value out of him because he gives us so much,” he added.
“It’s pleasing that we’ve been consistent” – Mo Bobat
The way the Rajat Patidar-led side has performed this season has been very impressive. Patidar has found himself among the runs and is eyeing his second title, after having won the trophy for the Royal Challengers in 2025.
“It sounds like a bit of a cliché, but we just try and take one game at a time. Whether we’re home or away, it doesn’t really matter to us. We try and understand the conditions, respect the opposition, plan for them, and then focus on what we’re good at and try and do that as well as we can.”
He also claimed that RCB has been repeating the same strategy throughout their campaign, and it has been pleasing that they have been consistent with their implementation. “We’ve obviously won a number of games, and even the games that we haven’t won, we’ve been competitive, so that’s good,” he added.
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